Automatic window shade eyelet machine



April 10, 1934. e. T. BIGGS AUTOMATIC WINDOW SHADE EYELET MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Gwzyv Z Bigg/ April 10, 1934. G. T. BIGGS AUTOMATIC wmnow SHADEEYELET MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 10, 1934. G T BIGGS 1,954,374

AUTOMATIC WINDOW SHADE EYELET MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Gum-mug Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC WINDOW SHADE EYELET lHACI-IINE George T. Biggs, St. Paul, Minn, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jacob Backer, St. Paul,

Minn.

Application December 13, 1928, Serial No. 325,677

15 Claims.

My invention relates to an automatic window shade eyelet machine designed to place eyelets through the stick and curtain of the window shade in a simple and effective manner, causing the eyelets to be automatically fed into operative position and picked up automatically and placed in position to be clinched on the shade and stick. It is also a feature of my invention to provide an automatic window shade eyelet machine wherein centering means are provided which are adapted to center the window shade stick in relation to the eyeleting head and thus obviate the necessity of measuring the stick to centralize the position of the eyelet between the ends of the stick. I have designed an extremely simple automatic eyelet machine which is particularly adapted for window shade sticks, formed with a small number of operating parts and having means for operating a punching and eyeleting head in 23 manner to turn the same into position to first punch an opening through the stick and shade and then place an eyelet through the opening and clinch the same at the same time providing a centralizing rest means which automatically centers the curtain stick so that it is not necessary to mark the center of the stick before punching the hole or eyeleting the same.

A feature of my invention resides in a novel means of shifting an operating head by a reciprocating stroke of the operating shaft of my eyelet machine. One stroke of the shaft punches the hole in the curtain and stick and the other stroke which is similar and may be operated by a foot lever places the eyelet in position and clinches the same.

Other features and details of the invention will be more fully and clearly set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings forming part of my specification:

Figure l is a front view of my automatic window shade eyelet machine.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same, the shelves and their supports having been removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of my eyelet machine.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of the upper portion of my eyelet machine.

leting head, showing the parts in another position.

Figure 8 is a detail of the punching and eyeleting head showing the parts in another po-- sition.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the punching and eyeleting head.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the punching and eyeleting head, showing the parts in another position from that illustrated in Figure 9.

Figure 11 illustrates a detail of the operating shaft and shifting guide with the parts in position to co-ordinate with the position of the parts in Figure 5.

Figure 12 is a similar view of the shaft and guide with the parts co-ordinating with the position of the parts in Figure 6.

Figure 13 is a similar detail as Figure 11, showing the parts in position to co-ordinate with the position of the parts in Figure 7.

Figure 14 is a similar detail of the parts illustrated in Figure 11, showing the parts in the coordinating position that they assume in relation to the parts in Figure 8.

My automatic window shade eyelet machine is formed with a supporting standard A which is supported by the base portion 13 so as to rest upon or be rigidly attached in any suitable manner to the floor to firmly support the standard A projecting upright in operative position.-

The standard A is adapted to support a work table portion 10 projecting from the front of the same with guide fingers 11 supported on the work table 10 and adapted to receive a curtain stick C in a suitable manner to support the same so that an eyelet can be placed through the stick. The work table 10 is positioned at the top of the standard and the standard A may be in the form of a T-beam, thereby providing a simple yet rigid and firm standard for supporting the operating mechanism along the same.

I provide a punching and eyeleting head E which is supported on the upper end of the vertical operating shaft 12 and which is supported in a manner so that the operation of the shaft up and down will operate the head E to punch and clinch eyelets through the stick C. The operating shaft 12 is supported by the bearings 13 and 14 which hold the shaft along the front of the standard A as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and the bottom of the shaft 12 is connected to the foot pedal 15 which is pivoted at 16 to the standard A, and by means of acoil spring 16 which connects with the shaft 12 by the hook 1'7. The shaft 12 is thus held normally in up permost position with the head E above the work table 10. By operating the foot lever 15 the shaft 12 is reciprocated up and down or longitudinally of the standard A, and this reciprocating movement of the shaft 12 operates the punching and eyeleting head E. The shaft 12 is provided with a coupling 18 to permit the lengthening or shortening of the same to give the proper adjustment for the desired operation of the shaft 12.

The punching and eyeleting head E is designed with a rectangular formation having a punching arm 20 and an eyeleting arm 21. These arms are positioned virtually at right angles to each other and are mounted on the upper end of the shaft 12 above the work table 10. The punching arm 20 supports the punch 22 which is held by the screw 23 in the outer end of the arm 20, while the arm 21 supports the eyelet machine punch 24 which is supported by the set screw 25 in the outer end of the arm 21. When the foot lever 15 is pressed downward in the first punching stroke of my automatic window shade eyelet machine, the portion 22 is pressed down into engagement with the stick C, piercing the same to punch a clean hole adapted to receive an eyelet. The shaft 12 reciprocate-s up and down in the bearings 13 and 14 and the head E is held in position against horizontal rotation while moving up and down by the collar member 26 which is positioned below the bearing 13. The collar 26 is carried by the shaft 12 and is formed with two projecting lugs 27 and 28. These lugs alternately engage in the slot 29 of the spring 30. Thus as the shaft 12 is operated either lug 27 or 28 slides in the vertical slot 29 of the spring 30 which holds the operating head E in position to move in longitudinal alinement with the shaft 12.

I provide a shifting means F for the shaft 12 which consists of an angular guide member 32 which is pivotally mounted on the front face of the standard A, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. I have illustrated the corresponding operating movement of the shaft shifting means F in Figures 11 to 14, inclusive, which correspond with the respective Figures 5 to 8, inclusive. These figures show the relative movement of the parts of the shifting means F. The guide 32 of the shifting means F is adapted to receive the ball 33 which is carried by the shaft 12 on the short lug 34 so that when the shaft 12 is reciprocated up and down, the ball 33 will slide in the guide 32 and move the guide 32 into different positions if the same is free of a locking means for the guide which will be hereinafter described. The locking means for holding the guide 32 consists of two dogs 35 and 36 which are pivotally supported in a manner to hang freely at either side of the guide 32. Each dog 35 and 36 is provided with a lock notch 37 near its point of pivotal support formed so as to engage the projecting edge 38 or 39 on the respective ends of the guide 32. When one of the lugs 35 or 36 is engaging with either the end 38 or 39 of the guide 32, the guide 32 is held rigid against rotation so that it will remain in operative position to guide the ball 33 in a manner to shift the shaft 12 with a rotary movement simultaneous with the shafts reciprocating movement. Thus I when the parts are in the position illustrated in Figures 6 and 12 and the dog 36 is engaging with the projecting end 39 of the guide 32, the guide 32 is held rigid against rotation on its pivot point 40 and the ball 33 is caused to operate in the direction of the guide 32, shifting the ball 33 over to the position illustrated in Figure 13 when the shaft 12 moves on its upward stroke. As the ball 33 reaches the extent of movement in the guide 32 as illustrated in Figure 13, the dog 36 is engaged to lift the dog sufficiently to disengage the notch 37 from the end 33. When the shaft 12 is again moved down by the foot pedal 15, the guide 32 will be caused to move down into the position illustrated in Figure 14, causing the dog 35 to engage the end 38 and lock the guide 32 in this position so that when the shaft 12 moves upward it is then shifted by the ball 33 following the guide 32 into the position illustrated in Figure 11, whereupon the ball 33 engages the dog 35 and releases the dog 35 so that when the shaft 12 is moved down the operation will then be to move the guide 32 in the position illustrated in Figure 12.

These operations just described are to carry out the operation of my automatic Window shade eyelet machine in a manner so that the head E will be shifted from one position to the other or may be operated to first punch a hole in the stick C when the parts are in the position illustrated in Figures 5 and 11, the down stroke being illustrated in Figures 6 and 12, and the shifting of the parts being illustrated in Figures 7 and 13, which takes place on th up stroke of the shaft 12. To more clearly describe the operation I have shown plan details in Figures 9 and 10 of the head E. Figure 9 illustrates the position of the parts in Figures 5 and 6, while Figure 10 illustrates the shifting of the head E in the direction of the arrow in Figure 9 to the position illustrated in Figure 10. The next downward stroke of the shaft 12 from the position illustrated in Figures 7 and 13 will give the position of the parts illustrated in Figures '8 and 14, and upon the up stroke of the shaft 12 the head E will be moved in the direction of the arrow in Figure 10 back into position as illustrated in the details in Figures 5, 9 and 11.

The operation of the lugs 27 and 28 with the spring 30 will now be more clearly apparent when considering that these lugs 27 and 28 co-operating with the spring 30 hold the operating head E in alinement with the shaft 12, particularly in the down stroke of the shaft 12 when operated by the pedal 15. In the up stroke operation of the shaft 12 the guide 32 operates to guide the ball 33 in a manner to shift the shaft 12 or rotate the same to rotate the head E either in the direction of the arrow in Figure 9 or in the direction of the arrow in Figure 10. In this operation when the shaft 12 is rotated, the spring 30 is of a character to permit the lugs 27 or 28 to become disengaged from the slot 29 to permit the shaft 12 to be rotated by the guide 32 and the ball or end 33. The spring 30 with the slot 29 engages either the lug 27 or 28 to hold the shaft 12 against rotation on the downward operating stroke of the same. This holds the operating head E always in proper alinement with the shaft 12 so as to first punch a hole in the stick C of the curtain and on the next downward stroke place an eyelet in the hole and rivet it in place.

My eyelet machine is provided with an eyelet hopper G which holds the loose eyelets 42 within the same. The hopper G is provided with an eyelet receiving slot 43 extending along the bottom of the hopper G and provided with a guard 44 near the outlet end 45 of the slot.

The eyelet hopper G is connected by the arm e6 which is secured to the side of the same to an operating rod 47 which is connected by the hook 17 to the shaft 12. The hopper G is pivotally connected at 48 to the arms 49 which project up from the standard A. Thus, in the operation of the shaft 12 the hopper G is moved on its pivot points 48 to raise and lower the same into the position illustrated in Figure 4 which shows the raised position and Figure 3 which shows the lower position. Figure 2 also shows the hopper G in its lowered position. When the hopper G is in the position illustrated in Figure 4, the eyelets 42 are directed to the inclined guide 50 which carries the eyelets to the horizontal portion 51 of the guide on the work table 10 to hold themin readiness to be picked up by the eyelet punch 24 carried by the head E.

My automatic eyelet machine is provided with a means of centering the curtain stick so that a hole and an eyelet may be put into the curtain stick quickly by the automatic operation of my eyelet machine. This centering means consists of the self -adjusting shelves 54 which are held by the toggle levers 55 which pivotally engage at 56 with the shelves 54 and are carried by the adjusting rods 57 which are pivoted to the standard A and also by the extension of two of the arms 55 to pivotally connect at 58 with the slidable member 59 slidably supported on the bracket member 60 on the front of the standard A. Thus, when one of the shelf members 54 is engaged and moved away from the operating head E of the eyelet machine, the other shelf 54 is moved correspondingly the same amount. In this manner I pro vide an automatic centering means for the curtain stick C. The operation of the centering means is simple and the shelves 54 extend in line with the work table 10, being ordinarily positioned on either side of the same to be held by a spring 61 so that the shelves 54 will be close to the operating table 10.

curtain stick C may be easily centered by the centering means by placing the ends of the stick in the shelves 54, these shelves moving automatically to place the center of the curtain stick directly in line with the shaft 12 and the punch 22. The foot lever 15 is then operated pressing the punch down to pierce an opening through the curtain stick C "and simultaneously the eyelet punch 24 will pick up an eyelet 42 from the portion 51 of the guide 50 as illustrated in Figure 4 v and also diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 6. As the foot lever 15 is released, the shaft 12 will raise and will be caused to rotate by the guide 32 as illustrated by the diagrammatic illustration in Figures 7 and 1-3, and rotating the operating head into the position illustrated in Figure 10 to turn the eyelet punch 24 into the position formerly assumed by the punch '22. The operating foot pedal 15 is'then pressed down again whichpresses the eyelet 42 in the opening made in the curtain stick C and clinches the eyelet in the stick C to permanently secure the eyelet extending through the stick C. The up stroke of the shaft 12 from this operation places the punch 22 back in the position illustrated in Figure 9 and also in Figures 5 and 3, ready to punch a new hole in another curtain stick. Thus, the operation may be repeated rapidly by inserting the curtain sticks in the guides 11 and causing them to be automatically centered by the automatically operated shelves 54.

My eyelet machine is provided with an eyelet separator 70, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, which is pivotally supported at 71, as illustrated in Figure 3. One end of the separator arm '70 is attached to the coil spring 72 which tends to hold the other end 73 having the eyelet engaging lug projecting from the bottom of the same, out of engagement with the eyelets 42 running down the slide 50. The end 73 is formed with a luglike portion 74 which is adapted to engage in the eyelet carried in the slide 50 just adjacent the front eyelet which is picked up by the punch 24. When the lug '74 engages in the eyelet it draws thesame backward free of the eyelet being picked up by the punch 24 and holds it until the eyelet picked up by the punch 24 is out of the way. When the reciprocating member 75 of the head E raises, the end 73 is adapted to raise up and let the eyelets 42 slide forward in the slide 50. The eyelet separating arm '70 performs an important function in holding the eyelets 42 from crowding at the front end of the slide 50 and keeps the eyelets back away from the front eyelet which is picked up by the punch 24.

The eyeleting head E is formed in two main parts, the slidable right angular part 75 and the stationary guide part 76 which is also right angular. The portion 76 is formed with a horizontally extending base portion 77 through which the shaft 12 extends.

In the operation of the head E the two parts 75 and 76 co-operate together, the part 76 acting as a guide and also forming the openings for the two members 22 and 24. This member 76 rotates with the member 75 so that the two members rotate together as the punching and eyeleting head E and the base portion 76 carries the opening for the punch 22 and the eyeleting mandrel for the eyelet punch 24. Thus these parts operate together and the base 77 acts as a portion of the work table 10 of the eyelet machine as hereinbefore described, so that the portion described as the work table 10 is the portion '77 of the operating head E which turns with the parts 76.

In this manner I provide an eyelet machine of a simple, inexpensive construction, easily manufactured, yet having details of operation of primary importance, particularly adapted to press eyelets in curtain sticks and the like.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my automatic window shade eyelet machine and while I have disclosed a particular formation and design ofthe respective parts, I desire to have it understood that the same is only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention and that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An automatic window shade eyelet machine including, a standard, an eyelet hopper, a punching and eyeleting head, and means for simultaneously rotating and reciprocating said head to first punch a hole and then clinch an eyelet automatically in the stick of the shade.

2. An automatic eyelet machine including, a standard, an operating lever, a shaft adapted to be reciprocated by said lever, spring means for operating said shaft in one direction, a hopper for receiving eyelets, means for operating said hopper by the reciprocation of said shaft, a punching and eyeleting head operated by said shaft and means for automatically rotating said reciprocating shaft to change the position of said punch and eyeleting head in a manner to first punch a hole and then clinch an eyelet in the hole punched.

3. An eyelet machine including, a punching and eyeleting head having an angular formation including an arm carrying a punching member, another arm carrying an eyeleting set, and means for operating said punching and eyeleting head to first punch a hole simultaneously picking up an eyelet by said eyelet set and rotating said head as it reciprocates to place the picked-up eyelet in the hole punched and clinch the same.

4. An eyelet machine for curtain sticks including, a hopper for eyelets, a guide for directing the eyelets from said hopper into operative position, a punch and eyelet head, a shaft for reciprocating said head up and down, means for rotating said shaft a quarter turn on the up stroke of said shaft and means for holding said shaft against rotation on the down stroke thereof whereby eyelets picked up from said operative position simultaneously with the punching operation of said eyelet head are automatically rotated with said head a quarter turn to place an eyelet in position to clinch an eyelet in a curtain stick.

5. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, an operating head, a punch and eyelet set carried by said head, inclined hopper means rocking past the horizontal for feeding eyelets to said eyelet set, and means for rotating said head automatically to first punch a hole and then clinch an eyelet in a curtain stick.

6. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, an operating head, a punch and eyelet set carried by said head, means for reciprocating said head, hopper means for feeding eyelets to said eyelet set, means for rotating said head automatically by the reciprocation thereof to first punch a hole and then clinch an eyelet in a curtain stick, and means for receiving and automatically centering the curtain stick in relation to said head to cause the eyelet to be placed centrally between the ends of the curtain stick.

'7. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, means for receiving a curtain stick to center the same, an operating head, means for reciprocating said eyelet head, a punching member and an eyeleting member carried by said head, means for operating said head to automatically punch a hole centrally between the ends of the same and then rotate said head by the reciprocation thereof to clinch an eyelet in the hole punched in the stick.

8. An eyelet machine including, a hopper for eyelets, a guide for said eyelets from said hopper, a punching and eyeleting head, shaft means for reciprocating said head, means for supporting and centering a member to be punched and eyeleted by said head and a guide adapted to operate by the reciprocation of the shaft of said head to rotate said head a quarter turn first in one direction and then back in the first position to first punch a hole and then clinch an eyelet therein.

9. An eyelet machine including, an operating head, means for feeding eyelets" to said operating head, a punch carried by said operating head, an eyelet set associated with said head, a shaft for operating said head, means for reciprocating said shaft and head, a guide means for shifting said shaft by the reciprocation thereof to cause said head to be shifted first in one direction and then back in the other direction to punch and then eyelet a member by said head.

10. An eyelet machine including, an operating head, means for feeding eyelets to said operating head, a punch carried by said operating head, an eyelet set associated with said head, a reciprocable shaft for operating said head, a guide means for shifting said shaft by the reciprocation of said shaft to cause said head to be shifted first in one direction and then back in the other direction to punch and then eyelet a member by said head and means for holding said head against rotation during the downward stroke of its punching and eyeleting movement.

11. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, a punching and eyeleting head, means for feed ing an eyelet to said head during the punching operation thereof and means for simultaneously automatically rotating and moving said head to place the eyelet picked up thereby in the hole punched and clinching the same and then placing said head in punching position.

12. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, a punching and eyeleting head, means for feeding an eyelet to said head during the punching operation thereof, means for simultaneously automatically rotating and moving said head to place the eyelet picked up thereby in the hole punched and clinching the same and then placing said head in punching position and means for centering a curtain stick in relation to said head to align the punch centrally of its ends.

13. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, a punching and eyeleting head, a shaft for reciprocating and rotating said head, a projection on said shaft, and cam means in which said projection operates to rotate said shaft as the same reciprocates.

14. A curtain stick eyelet machine including, a punching and eyeleting head, a shaft for reciproeating and rotating said head, a pivoted cam means, means for locking said cam in various positions, and means on said shaft operable in said cam to rotate said shaft and to release said locking means.

15. An eyelet machine including, a punching and eyeleting head, a shaft for reciprocating and rotating said shaft, cam means, means on said shaft operable in said cam to rotate said shaft as it reciprocates, and means for locking said cam in one position during the rotation of said shaft.

GEORGE T. BIGGS 

